Southwestern Illinois likely to see snow, sleet mix. Here is the latest weather forecast

A mix of sleet and snow — along with possibly some freezing drizzle — appears headed for the metro-east this week.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday afternoon issued a winter storm warning for the entire metro-east region beginning at noon Wednesday and ending at midnight Thursday.

According to Jared Maples, a meteorologist with the NWS of St. Louis, two waves of the storm will impact the area.

The first wave will commence around 3 or 4 p.m. Wednesday — “right through the evening rush, unfortunately,” Maples said — and continue into the evening with 1/2 inch to an inch total of sleet and snow mixed.

“Then, late Wednesday evening into the overnight hours, we’ll have a period of tapering off of the sleet and snow, with some intermittent pockets,” Maples said. “There is some concern about freezing drizzle overnight. We’re not real confident on that, but we just want to make mention of it in case it does occur. If it does, it will not have a big impact.”

Maples said, as of Tuesday afternoon, any ice totals would not likely cause power outages.

The storm will resume in the metro-east mid-to-late morning Thursday at varying intensities.

“We’ll have pockets or light-to-moderate sleet and snow in the afternoon into the evening,” Maple said. “On the back edge of it between 6-9 p.m., we’ll see some of that intensity wane and then everything will be out of here by midnight Thursday.”

Maples said storm totals of sleet and snow combined for southwestern Illinois counties will be from 1-2 inches.

“It looks like both waves will be snow and sleet predominantly,” he said. “A good representative number is nine of 10 people in the area will be in that 1-2 inch amount. The 3-inch amount is on the higher end and if we get enough cold air, we’ll probably achieve that higher number. The cooler air will be just off to the northwest where you might have a little more snow than sleet.”

Maples cautioned people of problems sleet causes for driving.

“One thing we’re messaging through these numbers — even though they’re lower than some of these storms we’ve had in the past — is that sleet total of around 1/2 and inch to an inch,” he said. “Sleet is much denser than snow. It’s basically an ice pellet. It packs a lot better. Its density makes it much harder to drive in.”

Furthermore, Maples stressed caution during the impending storm.

“Then, we’ll get that warm in there and melt the snow and sleet and things should be past us,” he said.

After reaching nearly 60 degrees Tuesday, temperatures will plummet into the low 30s and 20s Wednesday and Thursday before highs climb toward 40 degrees Saturday-Sunday.

The National Weather Service recommends keeping plugged into the forecast as it develops at www.weather.gov.